Lavender Lemon Rice Pudding

Back home in Portland there's a little coffee stand on 23rd street that always has this amazing fresh lavender lemonade, and whenever I'm home I always try to make a point to stop there and grab a cup because it is THE best lemonade I have ever had. I'm also a huge fan of rice pudding, which I made for the first time a few months ago. The Greek recipe calls for lemon, and I added some lavender into the mix to see if I could recreate the amazing lavender/lemonade combination in pudding form. I didn't have any empty tea bags or means of keeping the lavender in a pouch to be boiled, so I emptied out a tea bag that had Lemon Lift tea in it, poured the dried lavender inside, and restapled it shut, which worked out fine. The pudding came out very well, as is evidenced by my very full tummy and the fun photos. What I liked most was how dainty it looks! It's really encouraged me to throw that tea party I've always wanted to.....

Ingredients:

2 Cups Whole Milk

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup White Rice

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg Yolk

1 Tea Bag, empty

1 Tablespoon Finely Grated Lemon Zest

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

3/4 Teaspoon Dried Lavender

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Teaspoon Largely Grated Lemon Zest

Place 1/2 teaspoon of the dried lavender in the tea bag, staple it shut with a string attached and set aside. Heat the milk, rice, sugar, water and bag of lavender in a medium sized pot until it begins to boil. Reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent burning. Remove the lavender bag and allow the mixture to simmer for another 30 minutes, still stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, lemon juice and finely

grated lemon zest. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk at high speed until slightly bubbly on top, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the rice pudding into the egg yolk, stirring constantly. Continue to add rice pudding to the egg yolk mixture until 5 tablespoons have been incorporated. Now pour the egg yolk mixture back into the rice pudding pot and stir until completely blended. Scoop the rice pudding into 4 individual serving bowls and garnish with the remaining lavender and the largely grated lemon zest. Serve warm or chilled.